When a brand makes the decision to hire a PR agency, they have certain expectations of what it will do for their business. From media coverage and advertising to social media and digital platforms, full service agencies are responsible for providing successful strategies for every one of their clients. But there are things some agencies do that clients don’t like.

At No Limit Agency, nothing is more important than working together with clients to turn communications goals into reality. We talked to Lauren Moorman, No Limit Agency’s vice president of client services, and Lauren Kaminski, director of client services, to break down five things clients dislike about agencies—and how to fix them.

Sloppy Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes agencies make is also one of the easiest to avoid. Clients should never have to edit any kind of typo in a document that an agency writes up. Titles, boilerplates, logos and spelling seem simple enough, but they’re often overlooked. If there are too many avoidable errors, clients get annoyed.

“Our rule at No Limit Agency is to run our work by multiple sets of eyes before it’s passed along to our clients,” said Kaminski. “We double and triple check to make sure that our information is up to date and factually correct. It’s a small step, but it goes a long way.”

Reactive Thinking

Clients always prefer proactive thinking to reactive thinking. That means agencies need to bring new ideas and plans to the table instead of waiting around for instructions on what to do next.

“We stay on top of industry news and we always know what’s going on with our clients’ competitors,” said Kaminski. “That allows us to stay one step ahead, and proves to our clients that we’re working around the clock for them.”

Agencies also need to keep track of every time their clients—and their competitors—are mentioned in the media. When No Limit Agency secures any type of press for its clients, they’re the first to know.

“We don’t want our clients to come to us with a link to an article or TV segment that brings up their brand. We need to be the first ones to tell them when they’re getting great coverage,” said Moorman. “As PR professionals, it’s our job to know when our clients are mentioned before anyone else.”

Being Second-String

It’s not a secret that agencies work with more than one client. But clients should never feel like they’re being pushed aside to make room for other accounts. It’s up to agencies to determine how to use their time to best serve everyone they’re working with.

“Every single one of our clients is important and deserves our full attention. When we’re talking with a client—whether it’s over the phone, via email or in person—we make sure they know that they’re the priority,” said Moorman.

Lack of Transparency

Clients need to be aware of everything their agency is doing on their behalf. That means agencies need to be extremely transparent regarding their efforts to market every brand they work with. When clients are unsure of an action plan, it can prevent progress from being made.

“At No Limit, we fully explain to our clients what exactly it is that we’re going to do and how we’re going to execute it,” said Kaminski. “We want to be as upfront and straight forward as we can be. There shouldn’t be any major surprises for our clients when it comes to our strategy.”

Closed Lines of Communication

There is nothing more frustrating for a client than when their agency isn’t talking to them. In order to be successful, there needs to be an open line of communication at all times.

“You don’t want to go more than a week without touching base with a client,” said Kaminski. “Communication doesn’t need to be constant, but it needs to be fluid. At the very least, you should have weekly phone calls set up with clients to make sure that everyone is on the same page.”

Agencies also need to make sure that their clients know exactly what services they’re providing. To companies outside of the communications industry, it can be difficult to differentiate between different public relations and advertising tactics.

“It’s critical that our clients know all of the services No Limit Agency offers. We aren’t your run-of-the-mill agency that writes a press release and then moves on,” said Moorman. “We offer a full range of communications services that, when used together, enable our clients to expand their businesses. When our clients understand what we’re able to do for them, that’s when we see the best results.”